Cryptocurrency and the Evolving Threat of Ransomware

note- I hate to do this, but apparently the terms "cryptocurrency" and "ransomware" bring out all the bitcoin spam bots, so I turned off comments on this video(20+ spam comments just today!). sorry! Cryptocurrency? Blockchain? Ransomware? We hear these terms on a daily basis, not only because they are cool buzzwords, but because they are being used by malicious threat actors to further their end-goals. As crypto, blockchain, and ransomware evolve and become more sophisticated, the act of attribution and tracking cyber-criminals becomes equally difficult. This presentation covers the basics of how a blockchain operates, its role in cryptocurrency, and attacks directed towards blockchain and crypto. The presentation then goes through a brief history of ransomware and how its tactics have evolved to match the current technological landscape during its respective period. The first two points then diverge on one another through a discussion of ransomware cryptocurrency demands, beginning with Bitcoin requests then shifting focus towards privacy coins like Monero. This shift in demand will be further covered through a comparison of Bitcoin and Monero trackability. The presentation wraps up by looking at the big picture of the digital asset threat landscape, as well as COVID-19’s role in amplifying the propagation of ransomware. Chris Ante is a Cyber Security Engineer with the MITRE Corporation focused on Cyber Threat Intelligence. Some of his interests and previous work include adversary emulation, industrial control systems, internet of things, blockchain, cloud, and other emerging technologies. He is currently working towards his Master's Degree in Applied Intelligence at Georgetown University. In his free time, Chris is a huge foodie, loves to be outdoors and travel (when there isn't a global pandemic happening), and playing Super Smash Bros. Melee.